Tools: For Strategic Analysis
But if you run a Pre-Mortem, dig into the Five Whys, and map a Blue Ocean? You won’t just analyze the future. You’ll build it.
We’ve all seen it. The executive who storms into a boardroom, slams a SWOT analysis on the table (you know the one—four neat little boxes), and declares victory. tools for strategic analysis
If you walk into your next planning session with only a SWOT, you are bringing a hammer to a chess match. But if you run a Pre-Mortem, dig into
Gather your team. Imagine it is 18 months from now. Your strategy has failed. Spectacularly. Write the headline: "Project Titan Crashes: $10M lost to [X]." We’ve all seen it
What is the most useless "strategic tool" you’ve been forced to use in a corporate meeting? (Mine is the 80-slide PowerPoint deck that could have been an email).
But here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Strategy isn’t about filling out templates. It’s about navigating chaos. And in 2024, chaos is the default setting. So, let’s put down the crayons and pick up the scalpel. Here are three underrated (or misused) strategic analysis tools that will actually help you see around corners. Most analysis is retrospective. We look at what did happen. But the most valuable analysis looks at what hasn't happened yet —but might.